The North Gauteng branch of the South African Democratic teachers Union (Sadtu) used the picketing line outside the National Treasury to inform its members and leadership about the new offer tabled by the employer.
Sadtu Gauteng provincial secretary Tseliso Ledimo says the picketing was arranged before the employer could table the new offer last Friday.
Ledimo says after looking at the new offer they have agreed to take it to their members for rejection or approval. Ledimo elaborates on the new deal on the negotiations table.
“The new offer in terms of the salary increase is staggered according to salary levels and they say salary level 1 to 6 is 7%, salary level 8 to 10 is 6.5%; salary level 11 to 12 is 6%.
“We are agreeing that the agreement be a three-year agreement there is consensus there. There is no fight. And the pay progression for teachers to equalise it for teachers, the police and the lecturers. We are agree it’s only that we are consulting members because the manner they propose to implementing it is quite new to us. They want to break the 0.5 into 0.2 paid this year and 0.3 paid next year. So we are consulting our members in that regard.”
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Department of Basic Education, Elijah Mhlanga, has called on the teachers not to disrupt teaching and learning.
“We hope that the picketing is not going to affect learning and teaching and that they will do it at the time that is not going to interfere with school work which they are expected to do. They have a right to express their dissatisfaction with the way things are going,” said Elijah Mhlanga.
Earlier the union says after eight months of negotiations, the employer is offering them an increase of 1% in addition to the inflation.
“We are demanding inflation salary increase plus 3 percent in addition to the inflation. The employer is currently offering inflation plus one percent. We are trying to bridge that gap so that the employer can mover to three percent. The employer is putting on the table an offer to start paying housing allowance for individual not spouses from the year 2020 and we are demanding that that should be done now and with pay progression they also want to start paying in 2020 and we are demanding that,”said Sadtu’s Secretary general in Mpumalanga, Walter Hlayise.
